Tanglewood

Yesterday there was a late afternoon media scramble when a Barrington Stage Company press conference announcing the 2014 season was followed within minutes by an unanticipated release by Williamstown Theatre Festival. It's taken some sorting but we now have an unusually early and clear picture of the summer season. We have a fairly complete clip and save rundown. Berkshire Theatre Group has yet to announce and WTF will soon post its program of the Nikos Stage.

Tickets to the 2014 Tanglewood season, priced from $10 to $121, go on sale, Sunday, January 26, at www.tanglewood.org, through SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200, and at the Symphony Hall Box Office (301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA). The 2014 Tanglewood season, June 27-August 30, features more than 100 performances, including concerts by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, and Tanglewood Music Center (the BSO’s prestigious summer music academy); chamber music, recital, and concert opera presentations in Ozawa Hall; and a series of Popular Artist concerts.

The Solid Sound Festival of Wilco has been a shot in the arm for the Northern Berkshire County tourism and hospitality industry. They will return to North Adams in 2015 but not this summer. This will be fourth festival organized by the band for Mass MoCA.

The 2014 Boston Pops spring season will introduce audiences to debut appearances by Warren Haynes (5/13 & 14), Tony award-winning Billy Porter (5/20 &21), and conductor Sarah Hicks (5/23 & 24), as well as first-time collaborations with the New York-based jazz band sensation The Hot Sardines (5/28-30) and Cirque de la Symphonie (5/16 & 17),the wildly unique circus act that brings its aerial flyers, acrobats, dancers, and jugglers to orchestral stages throughout the country. Opening night features comic Jason Alexander.

Although its mid-century Freudianism is dated, "Lizzie Borden" still packs a wallop as a work of music-drama. The recent Boston Lyric Opera production was a preview for a performance at Tanglewood this summer.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra announces the schedule for its 2014 Tanglewood program. Aftar a hiatus last year, as has become traditional, James Taylor returns for the Fourth of July Weekend. On July 5 Renee Fleming will appear on the opening night of the classical program. Popular artists will be announced as they are booked.

Page 73 Productions, now in its 16th year premiering the next generation of American playwrights – who have included Pulitzer Prize winner Quiara Alegría Hudes, Drama Desk Award winner Sam Hunter, New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award recipient Dan LeFranc, and more – will present the New York premiere of George Brant’s gripping new play GROUNDED, directed by two-time Obie Award-winning director Ken Rus Schmoll (TELEPHONE, A MAP OF VIRTUE) and starring Hannah Cabell (3C, A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS opposite Frank Langella). Previews begin on January 8 at Walkerspace (46 Walker Street) in Manhattan.

In 1987 Clarence Fanto moved full time to the Berkshires joining the Berkshire Eagle as editor of its then new Sunday edition. He left the paper as its managing editor and several years ago rejoined as a reporter and has now slowed down as a freelancer and columnist. For the past several years he has compiled an annual summary of budgets, attendance and box office revenues of the major Berkshire arts organizations. We got together for lunch to connect the dots. There is no dispute over the accuracy of the data he compiles but we differ on its interpretation. Our occasional meetings and e mails are always lively and this is a chance to listen in.

On Wednesday, October 16 at 8:00 p.m., in Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, The Silk Road Ensemble with Yo-Yo Ma returns to Carnegie Hall to celebrate the 15th anniversary of The Silk Road Project—an initiative aimed at promoting innovation and cross-cultural understanding through performance and the arts.

With several major Berkshire arts organizations now closed until next year it's time to reflect on the intense and often remarkable 2013 high season. It's impossible to be everywhere, often with conflicts on any given night, but we offer highlights of what we managed to review. In addition to the Berkshires we covered five new plays at the Contemporary American Theatre Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. The busy season included a number of interviews with artistic directors, actors and playwrights.

For its gala 2012, 75th anniversary Tanglewood logged its third best attendance at 375,776. This year, despite generally favorable weather, attendance declined by 9%. Non classical programming was off by 14% largely attributed to the absence of James Taylor whose three concerts last season sold 54, 385 tickets (minus comps). Even with deep pockets and a broad base of support it has been a year of red ink for Mark Volpe and the BSO. There is no need for panic but it's time to bring in consultants to book non classical programming.

With thunder and lightning it rained cats and dogs for the Shed performance of Harry Connick, Jr. at Tanglewood. We managed to stay sky high and bone dry through the best non classical performance of the season. Connick charmed the audience with the full range of his vast musical talent. He sang several songs from the new CD Every Man Should Know his 30th and 7th that he entirely composed and arranged.

For the annual Film Night at Tanglewood for the first half of the program John Williams passed the baton to David Newman the son of the legendary Alfred Newman. There were six songs and an encore by guest artist and Tony winner Audra McDonald. One of the largest audiences of the season enjoyed the broadly appealing program.

Michael Feinstein brought his Great American Songbook to Tanglewood in what is evolving as an annual guest appearance with Keith Lockhart and Pops. His guests included Tony winner Faith Prince and Cheyenne Jackson. It was a chilly August evening with a hint of Fall and ultra cool swinging music.

For her third season as artistic director of the Williamstown Theater Festival Jenny Gersten produced an amazing three musicals in a program of seven productions. Bridges of Madison County opens on Broadway in January but Gersten insists her mandate is to create shows for Williamstown. We met to discuss the season which ends this weekend. This is part one of that dialogue.

On a day off from playing violin at Tanglewood our musician/ chef decided to tackle barbecued brisket for a family gathering. His approach proves to be quite contrarian. He resists trends for fancy equipment and exotic recipes for rubs and sauces. His approach is to just go ahead and do it. Keep the flame low and slow and all else will be just fine.

With the face and figure of a fashion model in a sexy backless dress they were hanging from the rafters at Ozawa Hall for a performance by multiple Grammy winner, the 29-year-old wild child, Esperanza Spalding. She sang, played bass and led the band through her arrangements.

On the occasion of the 100th birthday of the British composer Edward Benjamin Britten (November 22, 1913 – December 4, 1976) last night Morris presented the world premiere of Curlew River. The chamber opera was inspired by a then young composer visiting Japan. It is adapted from Juro Motomasa’s medieval play Sumidagawa. For the second half of the program The Mark Morris Dance Group presented one of his most iconic works Dido and Aeneas (1989).

On a Monday night The Steve Miller Band drew an audience of hipster pensioners for a two hour rock show in the Shed at Tanglewood. Lenox was a one nighter of Miller's 35 venue Joker Tour in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the seminal rock album.

To get a handle on the disembodied moves of the Israeli company L-E-V, making its American debut at Jacob's Pillow, think of a Michael Jackson Moonwalk. They have expanded his pop innovations into a stunning new style and vocabulary of dance. Their hour long work House left us hungry for more.

Make no mistake. Eric Owens is one of music's leading ambassadors today. Despite a demanding schedule as the go-to bass for roles ranging from Alberich to Handel's Hercules, Eric Owens is everywhere. Now he steps in for Ferruccio Furlanetto to heal the wounds of Andris Nelsons absence at Tanglewood. Bravo Eric Owens.

Because of a freak accident at home yesterday the BSO announced that newly appointed conductor, Andris Nelsons, will not be able to make his only Tanglewood appearance this season. Ironically this is an all too vivid reminder of the ongoing cancellations of James Levine. Today the other shoe dropped with more cancellations and substitutions of the pending programs this weekend.

One of the most anticipated Tanglewood concerts this summer was the only scheduled appearance of the newly appointed BSO director Andris Nelsons. Accordingly his conducting Verdi Requiem on July 27 has been cancelled. He was scheduled to meet with the media on Friday. The concert will be presented with a yet to be announced guest conductor.

With a winning combination of Asian Fusion food, ambiance, and moderate prices Spice Dragon in Pittsfield is a popular destination. Over several visits, however, the food and service has been inconsistent. Busy nights stretch the limits of understaffed and inexperienced front of house and an ability to get food to tables in a timely manner. In Pittsfield, however, there isn't much competition for dining on this level.

You would never know that symphony orchestras are having a tough time if you sit in the hall or the shed of a Ravinia event. Like Tanglewood orchestras are fighting back for their place in the musical sun. And they are succeeding in their efforts to make classical music relevant for our times.